Masrour Barzani
Masrour Barzani مهسروور بارزانی | |
---|---|
Chancellor of the Kurdistan Region Security Council | |
Incumbent | |
Assumed office 8 July 2012 | |
President | Massoud Barzani |
Preceded by | Position established |
Personal details | |
Born | 1969 |
Nationality | Iraqi Kurdish |
Political party | Kurdistan Democratic Party |
Alma mater | American University |
Religion | Sunni Islam |
Masrour Barzani (Kurdish: مهسروور بارزانی، Mesrúr Barzaní, Arabic: مسرور بارزاني) is a member of the Kurdistan Democratic Party leadership, son of the current Kurdistan Region President Masoud Barzani, and is the Chancellor of the Kurdistan Region Security Council in Iraqi Kurdistan.[1] The KDP is one of the three main Kurdish parties in Kurdistan, and is a member of the current coalition government.
Early Life and Education
He joined the Kurdish resistance fighters, known as Peshmerga or “those who face death", in 1985 at the age of 16. He was an active participant in the Battle of Khwakurk against Saddam Hussein’s army in 1988. He also participated in the 1991 uprising against Saddam Hussein after the first Gulf War and filmed both events.
Despite this irregular childhood given the tumultuous nature of the Kurdish resistance, Barzani was able to complete his high school education in Iran. After seeing peace restored to the region in 1992, he went to London for a year-long course in English. Having successfully completed this, he continued on to receive a bachelor’s degree with honors in International Studies from the American University in Washington, D.C. He continued studying Peace and Conflict Resolutions for his post graduate studies.[2]
During his time in Washington, Barzani was actively involved in improving understanding of the Kurdish plight in America. He also established a Barzani Scholar-in-Residence program at American University, in order to continue these efforts into the future.[3]
Political Career
In 1998, he returned to Kurdistan and was elected by the KDP's 12th Congress to the Central Committee. Later that same year he became part of the Kurdistan Democratic Party Leadership before being appointed as General Director of the Protection and Intelligence Agency.[4] In 2010, he received the highest votes of the 13th Congress, was reelected to the Leadership Council and then selected as one of the Politburo members of the KDP. In 2012, he was appointed by Kurdistan Region President Masoud Barzani as Chancellor of the Kurdistan Region Security Council to oversee security, military intelligence and existing intelligence services.[1]
Under his stewardship, women have been officially added to the Kurdish security services and many can now be seen publicly serving as guards outside government buildings. He was a vocal critic of many of the proposals found in the Iraq Study Group, authoring a Washington Post op-ed on the subject.[5] He has also appeared in several television interviews on security-related matters.[6]
Barzani has also been credited with working to ensure that veterans of the Kurdish struggle who are members of his father's political party receive their pensions.[7] In a January 2010 interview with the Jamestown Foundation, Masrour Barzani said that the Iraqi Constitution has laid out a clear solution for the status of the city of Kirkuk and other disputed areas.[8]
Barzani Charity Foundation (BCF)
In 2005, he founded the Barzani Charity Foundation in Iraqi Kurdistan. The non-profit charity organization provides aid to the internally displaced, refugees as well as vulnerable locals, and is modeled on the life, struggle and principles of Mustafa Barzani. Its Orphan Sponsorship Program provides a monthly stipend to cover living expenses, health care and education to orphans.
American University Duhok Kurdistan (AUDK)
Masrour Barzani is the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the American University Duhok Kurdistan (AUDK).[9] He laid the cornerstone of the project during a ceremony in Duhok province in December 2013.[10] This will be the second American university in Iraqi Kurdistan.
Personal Life
Barzani is married and has four children, three sons and one daughter. He is fluent in Kurdish, Persian and English in addition to understanding Arabic.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "President Barzani Inaugurates the Security Council of the Kurdistan Region". KRP.org. 2012-08-07. Retrieved 2014-10-21.
- ↑ http://veracity.univpubs.american.edu/weeklypast/110105/110105_iraqikurdish.html
- ↑ http://www.aupeace.org/?q=node/2603
- ↑ "Kurdish Intelligence Boss Barzani on Strategy for Iraq". YouTube. 2007-07-02. Retrieved 2013-03-21.
- ↑ "Masrour Barzani - For Iraqis, A Promise Is in Peril". Washingtonpost.com. 2006-12-20. Retrieved 2013-03-21.
- ↑ "Head of Iraqi Kurdish security speaks to Al Jazeera - 23 Oct". YouTube. Retrieved 2013-03-21.
- ↑
- ↑ McDermott, Roger. "Iraq’s Security is Kurdistan’s Security: An Interview with KRG Intelligence Chief Masrour Barzani from". Jamestown.org. Retrieved 2013-03-21.
- ↑ "Letter From HE Masrour Barzani, the Chairman of the Board of Trustees". AUDK.us. 2014-10-21. Retrieved 2014-10-21.
- ↑ "Laying the cornerstone of AUDK". AUDK.US. 2013-12-08. Retrieved 2014-10-25.
External links
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